1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a mobile communication terminal such as a Digital Multimedia Broadcasting (DMB) phone, a game phone, a chatting phone, a camera phone, a Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) Layer-3 (MP3) phone, a cellular phone, a Personal Communication Service (PCS) phone, a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), and a Hand Held Phone (HHP), and in particular, to a dual-axis rotation folder-type mobile communication terminal which selectively changes a folder opening/closing type in order to provide an optimal user interface environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a portable communication terminal refers to an electronic apparatus which a user can carry with him/her to perform wireless communication. The wireless communication may be voice communication, message transmission, file transmission, video communication, and a camera function. Additionally, the portable communication terminal serves as a personal agent by performing phone number management and personal schedule management.
In consideration of portability, designs of such portable communication apparatuses have emphasized not only compactness, slimness, excellent gripping property, and lightness, but also multimedia availability, thus having a wider variety of functions, e.g., entertainment functions including game services. In particular, future portable communication terminals are expected to incorporate greater multi-functionality and multi-purpose utilization including video communication, game, Internet, and camera functions as well as a voice communication function.
Conventional portable communication terminals may be classified according to their appearance in consideration of portability and convenience in use, such as bar-type communication terminals and folder-type communication terminals. The bar-type portable communication terminal has a single housing shaped like a bar in which data input/output devices, and transmission/reception devices are mounted. The folder-type portable communication terminal has a folder coupled to a single bar-shaped housing by a hinge device in such a manner that the folder can be rotated in order to be folded towards and unfolded away from the housing.
For example, in a folder-type mobile communication terminal, a folder is rotatably coupled to a main body by a hinge unit, keys are disposed in the main body, and a display unit is disposed in the folder in the folder-type mobile communication terminal, contributing to miniaturization and portability. A folder-type portable communication terminal is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,865,406, commonly assigned to the assignee of the present application. In the disclosed folder-type portable communication terminal, a camera lens housing is mounted in a hinge unit.
In the conventional mobile communication terminal, inconvenience may be negligible in a data input operation and a displayed data check operation in a phone mode like voice communication or text message transmission. However, in multimedia environments, the promptness or accuracy of a data input operation such as key pressing is degraded in a game mode and a wide screen cannot be provided in a display unit. The promptness and accuracy of key manipulation are more important in the game mode than in any other modes. In particular, key manipulation using both hands instead of one hand is crucial for improving promptness and accuracy.
Of course, the foregoing problems can be solved by increasing the size of the mobile communication terminal, mounting a wide display unit, and disposing more keys; each of which goes against the miniaturization trend and causes inconvenience in carrying.
Therefore, there is a need for a folder-type mobile communication terminal that provides convenience in use in a QWERTY mode for inputting complex data as well as in a phone mode without size increase.